Car



June 27, 13. R. c. PIERCE 1,915,758

CAR

Filed March 21, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 1 m m% Q mm 0. mm mm d g QM a Q QM m QW m QN QNW QM EH mg R. c. PIERCE June 27, 1933.

CAR

Filed March 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizmezzz or' 720. @256 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 R. C. PIERCE CAR Filed. March 21, 1952 June 27, 1933.

June 27, 1933.

w n w i I a 271077 2 623673 I "I I I R. C. PIERCE June 27, 1933.

CAR

Filed March 21, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented 3 '21, 1933 f cum-:1) STATES-PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND C. PIERCE, OF CHICAGQ ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL AMERICAN TANK CAR CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 03' WEST VIRGINIA.

I can Application filed latch 21. ms. Serial No. 600,800. I

line 9 on Fig. 8 and viewed in the direction M invention relates to cars for transporting 1n bulk relatively fine material, and of the type employing screw conveyor mechathe lading to the point of discharge, an more especially to cars of the type referre to for transporting material of such character, as for example cement, that it becomes packed around the conveyor so firmly as to greatly militate against the proper operation of the conveyor, oftentimes preventing the starting of the conveyor into operation.

My primary object is to provide improvements in cars of the ty e above referred to to the end that the ob ection presented by such cars as hitherto provided will be overcome and the conveyor mechanism be adapted for starting with comparative ease and properly function to convey the material, and other objects as will be manifest from the followin description.

Referrmg to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a car of the type above referred to constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan sectionalview of the nism at the bottom of the car for conveying d 4 car, the section being taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is an end view of the car viewing the car from one end. Figure 4 is a similar view viewing .the car from its opposite end.

Figure 5 is a plan sectional view taken through the car at the plane of the feederscrews forming elements of the car, the section being taken at the line 5 on Flg. 7 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 6 is an enlarged broken plan sectional view of portions of the car shown in Fig 5.

igure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the car, the section being taken at the line 7 on Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view in elevation of one end of the car, the section being taken at the line 8 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken at the of the arrow; and

Figure 10, a sectional view taken at the lme 10 on Fig. 8 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the particular construction shown 11 represents the underframe of the car which may be of any desirable construction, that shown being of the common center sill t pe com rising, generally stated, a center sill 12 suitably supported at its ends on bolsters 13 which, in turn, are supported on trucks in accordance with common practice, the wheels of the trucks being represented at 14.

The car alsocomprises a cylindrical tank represented at 15 supported on its side on the bolsters 13 and extending lengthwise of the underframe, the wall of the tank being constructed of sheet metal in accordance with the common practice of manufacturing tank carsas commonly provided.

The tank 15 may beheld on the underframe against shifting thereon in any desirable manner, as is well known in the art,

the ends of the tank, free to slide on the bolsters 13, being shown as engaged by tank- .bands 16 anchored to the underframe and tively, which meet at their adjacent upper edges but are spaced apart at their lower edges as shown. The sheets 19 and 20, in combination with the sheets 17, cause the bottom of the lading-space in the tank to be in the form of a series of hoppers 21 extending lengthwise of the car, the top of the tank 15 along its center line being provided with inlets 21 disposed in vertical alinement with the hoppers 21 and having removable closures 22, and through which the lading is in-- troduced into the car.

Located at the bottoms of the hoppers 21 are slope sheets 23 and 2a which incline out- .wardly and downwardly from the median line of the tank and fit, at their edges, the slope sheets 19 and 20 as shown, the sheets23 and 24 being narrower than the lower edges of the sheets 19 and 20 and provided at their lateral edges with vertical sheet-portions 25 and 26, respectively, below which the sheets 23 and 2d incline outwardly and downward ly as represented at 27 and 28, respectively, extending at their lower edges to the slope sheets 17 (Fig. 8).

The slope sheets 23 and 24, in combination with the slope sheets 17, form troughs 29 and 30 extending lengthwise of the car and located at opposite sides of the median line thereof and ofthe trough 18, the troughs 29 and 30 being open to the lading-compartment only at the spaces between the adjacent sheets 19 and 20 and the trough 18 being closed to thiscompartment except through the spaces just referred to which open into the trou h 18 only through lateral openings, where y the trough 18 is covered against access thereto of the lading except as delivered to it throu h said lateral openings, as hereinafter descr bed. At the opposite ends of the vertical and inclined portions 2528 ofthe slope plates 23 and 24: are vertical plates 31 and 32, the plates 31 containing openings 33 for shafts hereinafter described and the plates 32 relatively large openings 34 forming outlets, the plates 31 and 32 being so disposed as shown that the openings 34 of the plates 32 open to the trough 18 to the left as to those of the horppers at the left-hand end of the car in Fig. 5 and to the right as to those of the hoppers at the right-hand end of the car.

The plates 32 have associated therewith defiector plates 35 which extend lengthwise of the tank and curve inwardly toward the median line of the tank as shown at 36, the plates 35 operating to deflect toward the median line of the tank the material discharged against them, as hereinafter described.

In accordance with the preferred illustrated embodiment of my invention, T provide at each side of the car and in a position to engage. the lading which gravitates through the spaces between the lower edges of the sheets 19 and 20, feeder-screw devices which force the lading engaged thereby into the trough 18; and provide in the trough-18 screw conveyor means which operate on the lading delivered thereto by the feeder-screws and convey it from opposite ends of the car to the center thereof for discharge through.

an opening 37 in the bottom of the tank.

The feeder-screw means referred to comprise screw elements 38 rigid on shatts 39 lo cated at opposite sides of the car andits o posite ends, these shafts being journaled in natures dinally of, the trough 18 and journaled in the ends of the tank, and screw elements 42 rigid on the shaft 41 and terminating at their adjacent ends at a point coincident with the outlet 37, these screw elements being reverseif ly disposed as shown whereby rotation of the shaft 41 operates to force the lading delivered to the trough 18 as stated, to the outlet 37 from opposite ends of the car.

The feeder screws and screw conveyor may be driven in any suitable way. lln the construction shown, a single power device, such asthe motor 43, being used for this purpose. The shaft it of the motor is geared to the adjacent ends of the screw conveyor shaft 41 and those of the shafts 39 at the left-hand end of the car as represented at 45 and t6, the drive for the other two of the shafts 39 being through gears 47 meshing with a pinion 48 on the shaft 41.

The feeder screws preferably are of such small diameter and operate at sucha slow speed relative to the speed of rotation of the screw conveyor 41-42, that the rate of feed of the lading to-the trough 18 is sufficient only to maintain this trough from 30% to 40% full. I

As will be understood from the foregoing description, the feeder screws 38 which oper-- ate to break up the lading are protected by the sheets above them except at the relatively short spaces between the lower ends of adjacent plates 19 and 20 exposing these screws to only such an extent as to ermit them to pick up the lading and trans er it to the trou h 18 and thus a relatively small part of t e 1611; t of the feeders is exposed to the lading. Furthermore, the screw conveyor in trough 18 being covered b the plates above it, the

lading cannot pac therein and the screw conveyor never being more than partially full of the lading fed to it, the lading is easily handled thereby, with a minimum of power consumption.

What ll claim as new,'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A car having a container portion, a

trough extending along said container per ile T have illustrated and described a trough and unexposed to t container portion, and means exposed'to the lading in said container portion at spaced apart intervals therealon for feeding the lading to said trough at di erent points along the trougha 2. A car having a container portion, a trough extending along saidcontainer portion beneath the bottom of the latter, a screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed to the ladin in said container portion, and means expose to the lading in said container portion at spaced apart intervals therealong for feeding the lading to said trough at diflerent points along the trough.

3. A car having a container portion, a trough extending along said tion, a screw conveyor rating in said trough and unexposed to t e lading in said container portion, and screw feeders exposed to the lading in said container portion at spaced apart: intervals therealong for feed ing the ladin to said trough at different points along t e trough.

4. A car having a container portion, a trough extending along said container portion beneath the bottom of the latter, a screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed to the lading in said container portion, and screw feeders exposed to the lading in said container portion at spaced apart intervals therealong for feeding the lading to said trough at difierent points along the trough.

5. A car having a container portion, a trough extending along said container portion, a screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed to the lading in said container portion, the bottom of said container portion having openings at intervals therealong communicating with. said trough,

' at diiierent points along the trough and means for feeding the lading at said openings to said trough. v

6. A car having a container portion, a trough extending along said container portion, a screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed to the lading in said container portion, the bottom of said container portion having openings at intervals therealong communicating with said trough at different points along the trough, and

screw feeders for feeding the lading at saidopenings to said trough.

I. A car having a container portion the bottom of which comprises a series of hopper shaped portions, a trough extending along said container portion, a screw conve or operating in said trough and unexpose to the lading in said container portion, said hopper shaped portions havinglopenirgs communicating with said .troug at di erent points along the trough, and means for feeding the lading at said openings to said trough.

container por- 8. Acar having a container portion the bottom of which comprises a series of ho per.

shaped portions, a trough extending a ong said container portion beneath the bottomthereof, a screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed to the lading in said container portion, said hopper shaped portions having openings communicating with said trough at'jdifi'erent points along the trough, and means for feeding the lading at said openings to said trough.

9. A car having a container portion the bottom of which comprises a series of'hopper 10. A car having a container portion the i 1 bottom of which comprises a series of hoppershaped portions, a trough extending along said container-portion beneath the bottom thereof, a. screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed tothe lading in said container portion, said hopper shaped portions having openings communicating with said trough at difi'erent points along the trough, and screw feeders for feeding the lading at said openings to said trough.

11. A car having a container portion the bottom of which comprises a series of hopper-shaped ortions having slope sheets which, with sides of said hopper shaped portions, form troughs into which the lading in said container portion extends, a trough beneath the bottoms of said hopper sha d portions and between said nrst-re erred-to troughs, a screw conveyor operating in said second-referred-to trough, said first-referred-to troughs having openings communicating with said second-named trough, and

means for feeding the lading from said first referred-to troughs to said second-named trough. r

12. A car having a container portion the bottom of which comprises a series of hopper-shaped portions having slope sheets which, with sides of said hopper shaped ortions, form troughs into which the la ing in said container portion extends, a trough beneath the bottoms of said hopper shaed portions and between troughs, a screw conveyor operating in said second-referred-to trough, said first-referred-to troughs havin cating with said secon screw feeders for feeding the lading from said first-named troughs to said secondnamed trough.

13.. A car having a-container portion comprising downward y converging slope sheets extending lengthwise of the car and forming said first-referre -to' openings communi- -named trough, and

a trough, pairs of downwardly diverging slope sheets extending crosswise of the car between said first-named slope sheets and slope sheets extending lengthwise of the car {forming with the latter hopper shaped portions disposed above said trough and open tothe latter, pairs of downwardly diverging and located in the bottoms of said hopper and with said first-named slope sheets form ing troughs at opposite sides of, and above, said first-named trough, a screw conveyor in said first-named trough and means in said last-named troughs for feedingthe iading to said first-named trough. I

14:. A car having a container portion comprising; downwardly converging slope sheets extending lengthwise of the car and forming a tren h, pairs of downwardly diverging siope sheets extending crosswise of the car between said first-named slope sheets and forming the latter hopper shaped portions disposed above said trough and open.

to the iatter, pairs or downwardly diverging; slope sheets extending lengthwise of the car and located in the bottoms of said hoppers and having depending portions which with said first-named slope sheets form troughs at opposite sides of, and above, said firstnained trough, a screw conveyor in said firstnarned trough and means in said last-named troughs for feeding the iading to said first named trough.

15. A. car having a container portion, a trough extending along said container portion, a screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed to the iodine" in said honoree container-portion, the bottom of said container portion having openings at intervals thereaiong communicating with saidtrough at difierent points along the trouglnand screw feeders located at said openings and exposed in part only to the lading in said container portion and operating to feed the .lading at said openings to said trough.

16. A car having a container portion, a trough extending along said container portion, a screw conveyor operating in said trough and unexposed to the lading in said container portion, the bottom of said container portion having openings at intervals therealong, housings communicating with said openings, respectiveiy, and having openings at their ends communicating with said trough at diiierent points along the trough,

and screw feeders in said housings for feed ing the iading therefrom to the trough.

1?. A car having a container portion, a 

